Water-heater.



E. W. EVANS.

WATER HEATER.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 14. 1913.

Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

wuemtoz Z: Ill/Eva 'n \S,

attorney;

THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHO70-LITHO., WASHING ION, D C.

ERNEST W. EVANS, OF ROBINSON, ILLINOIS.

WATER-HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

Application filed .1 ans 14, 1913. Serial No. 773,630.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, ERNEST W. EVANS, citizen of the United States, residing at Robinson, in the county of Crawford and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water-Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

invention relates to water heaters and particularly to that class of water heaters wherein the water circulates through relatively shallow chambers so as to come in intimate contact with the heat from the burner and so that the water may be heated very quickly.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of a heater of this character so designed that a maximum area of water surface will be submitted to the action of heat and whereby further the heat will be passed successively through a series of chambers whose walls are formed by jackets containing circulating water.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the water heater that it will provide an extremely long travel for the heat and provide a construction such that both the outer and inner faces of the water chamber shall be subjected to the action of the heat.

A further object of the invention is to provide a very simple construction which may be cheaply made, readily assembled and which has so few parts and those of such a simple character that it will not get out of order.

A further object is to provide in connec tion with a series of water heating chambers a plurality of burners with means whereby any one or more of the burners may be used in heating the air passing around the water heating sections.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the water sections or chambers that the water can rise very rapidly and as fast as it is heated, thus causing a rapid circulation from the bottom to the top of the heater.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevation ofa water heater constructed in accordance with my invention, a portion of the casing being broken away so as to show one of the water containing sections; Fig. 2 is a vertical diametrical section of the construction shown in Fig. 1 and also showing the gas conducting pipes and the mixers therefor.

Referring now to Fig. 1 it will be seen that exteriorly my improved heater comprises a base 2 which is preferably made of cast iron, this base 2, as will be seen in Fig. 2, having a supporting flange 8. Mounted upon the supporting flan e 3 and extending upward therefrom is a cylindrical drum designated 4, this drum being preferably made of sheet iron and lined with sheet asbestos designated 5. This asbestos is held in place by a series of hoops 6 having screws 7 which pass through the sheet iron of the drum. The upper end of the drum is closed by means of a top or cover formed in two sections, an inner section 8 and an outer section 9. The outer section 9 rests upon the top of the drum a and is provided with the downwardly extending cars 10 by which the section 9 may be attached by means of bolts to the drum. The inner edge of the annular section 9 is rabbeted for overlapping engagement with the section 8. The section 8 is rabbeted and formed at its center with an upwardly projecting hub 11 through which passes a set screw 12 to support the central section from the water pipe, as will be later described. This set screw 12 is preferably square-headed to permit the application of a wrench. The section 8 of the cover or top is also formed with a flue opening designated 13 from which extends a pipe 14: or fine, as will be later stated.

Disposed within the drum 4: are a plurality of water heatingchambers or sections designated generally 15. Three of these sections are shown, but it is to be understood that a less number or greater number of sections may be used if desired. Each section exteriorly is preferably conveXo-conveX in form and is formed with an outer wall designated 16 and an inner wall designated 17 which is parallel to the outer wall so that an interior chamber is inclosed by the heating chambers or sections 15. The walls 16 and 17 of each water heating chamber or section 15 are formed with the passages 18 and 18 The passage 18 is on the under side of the water chamber or section and leads into the interior chamber, while the passage 18 is on the upper side of the chamber and leads from the interior space. These passages 18 v and 18 permit the heated air within the casing 4: to pass into the interior space inclosed by the air chamber and to pass out again into the space surrounding the water cham ber. These passages 18 and 18 are disposed at diagonally opposite points with reference to each other and thus a complete circulation of the heated air around and through the water heating chambers is secured. It is pointed out that the inlet duct 18 of one chamber is diagonally arranged with reference to the outlet duct of the chamber just below or just above so that a complete circulation oi the heated air is compelled under all circumstances. The lower sides of these water heating sections or chambers are formed with a downwardly extending nipple l9 and the upper side of each water heating chamber or section is formed with an upwardly extending nipple 20. These are joined by short sections 21 of pipe. It will be seen that any number of the units may e assembled together to form a water heater and that the units are all alike. The uppermost nipple 20 of the uppermost section 15 is engaged with an upwardly extending wa ter pipe designated This water pipe may extend into the delivery pipe of an ordinary boiler if desired and may be connected in any suitable manner. The lowermost nippic 20 of the lowermost section 15 is connected to an inlet pipe 23 which in turn is connected to a source oil supply and may be connected to the lower portion of an ordinary kitchen boiler. It will be seen that the pipe 22 passes through hub 11 of the top section 8 and is held in place therein by means of the set screw 12 so that the cover section is supported by means 01 this pipe. The lower pipe 23 is supported by engage ment with the burner, which is designated generally 24, and which is supported by radially arranged strips engaging with inwardly projecting lugs on the base 2.

While I do not wish to be limited to any particular form of burner, I have illustrated for this purpose a burner having a plurality of independent annular burners proper. As illustrated, the outer burner consists of a tubular annulus 25 provided with burner tips perforated at the sides for the passage of air, the annulus being connected to a gas pipe :27. The inner burner consists of a tubular annulus 28 likewise provided with tips and connected by means of a pipe 29 to a suitable source of supply. The central portion of the burner 24; has a central hub 30 through which the pipe 23 passes, this pipe 23 and the burner being connected to each other 'by means of a set screw 81. An annular space 32 is left between the burners 25 and 28 through which air may pass upward, and there is also a space around the exterior of both burners through which air may pass upward and an air space 33 surrounding the hub 30 through which air may pass. It is obvious, however, that this arrangement may be changed and varied in many respects without altering the operation of my heater. As illustrated in Fig. 2 I provide a main gas pipe 34; from which the gas pipes 29 and 27 extend.

The operation of my invention will be olwious from. what has gone before. Water is of course supposed to be within the water chan'ibers 15 and the pipes and 21. The gas is lighted through the door 12 and the gas regulated by means of valves It will be obvious that air will be taken into the mixing chamber 39 through the openings 4:0 and the mixed gas and air will pass along the pipes 29 and 2? to their respective burners. This insure the provision of a properly combustible mixture to the burners. The air heated by the burners passes upward through the easing 4: and in its travel passes entirely around the exterior of the water containing chain bers l5 and passes through the passages 18 and 18 and into the interior of thee chambers, thus providing tor an economical and thorough utilization of heat units. The chambers 15 are relatively shallow in depth and as a consequence a relatively small amount of water is subjected to the heat. This causes a very rapid heating of the water and a eryrapid circulation of the same. The water passes up successively through the several chambers 15, passes out eventually through the pipe 22 and is either conducted directly into the house system or may be conducted to the upper portion of an ordinary kitchen boiler. In this latter case the supply pipe 23 extends from the lower portion of the kitchen boiler. The products of combustion pass up through the drum st, then through the line lt and may be carried off in any suitable manner.

It will be noted from Figs. 1 and 2 that one end of each oi the water chambers 15 is flattened as at 15. This permits the heat and gas fumes to travel upward on that side of the burner in case the opening 18 or 18 should become clogged. It will be noticed that these flattened portions 15 are dis posed alternately on one side or the other so 4 that the heat is caused to take a circuitous path.

By forming the top of the heater in two portions 8 and 9, it is possible to remove the section 9 together with the casing 4- so as to clean out the interior walls of the casing without the necessity of removing the water chambers 15 or the pipes supporting the same. This also permits the repairs of the water sections or chambers 15 without removing the cover section 8, stove pipe or the water pipe.

While I have illustrated what I believe to be the best form of my invention. I do not wish to be limited thereto, as it is obvious that many changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the in- Yention,

Haring thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A water heater including in its organization an exterior casing or drum, a plurality of superposed water containing chambers, connected to each other and to a source of supply, said chambers being conveXoconrex in form and having outer and inner *alls spaced apart, the inner wall inclosing a heatin space and the chamber being provided upon its upper side with a passage extending into the heating space from the exterior of the chamber and on its loWer side with a like passage, the passages being diagonally disposed with relation to each other but being otherwise imperforate, the openings being spaced from the center of the chamber and being disposed immediately adjacent the margin of the chamber.

2. A water heater including in its organization an exterior casing or drum, a plurality of superposed water containing chambers connected to each other and to a source of supply, said chambers being convexoconvex in form and having outer and inner walls spaced apart, the inner wall inclosing a heating space, the chamber being provided upon its upper side with a passage extending into the heating space from the exterior of the chamber and on its lower side with a like passage, the passages being diagonally disposed with relation to each other, but the chamber being otherwise imperforate, each of the said chambers being fiattened at one point of its periphery, the remainder of the periphery of each heating chamber fitting snugly the said drum, the flattened portion of one chamber being disposed diametrically opposite to the flattened portion oi the neXt adjacent chamber, to thereby retard the pasage of heat between the chambers and provide for a circulation of heat from one side of the drum to the other side of the drum and the space between each two chambers, the first-named passage extending through the wall of each heating chamber and being disposed adjacent the fiattened portion of the chamber.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

